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Engaging in Office Chit-chat May Help Protect You During Layoffs, a Study Found

Workers who used terms like “lunch,” “coffee” and “baseball” were more likely to keep their jobs, according to University of Pennsylvania analysis

By

Rachel Emma Silverman

Oct. 27, 2014 5:23 p.m. ET

Whether you care about the Royals or not, email a co-worker about the World Series today. It may save your career.

Employees who message colleagues about idle topics like sports or meals were significantly more likely to keep their jobs during company layoffs, according to recent research from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.